Segmental ash tray



March 14, 1961 E. N. LAMONT 2,974,821

SEGMENTAL ASH TRAY Filed June 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

EBENEZER N. LAMONT I WW t 3 ATTQQMEYS March 14, 1961 E. N. LAMONT SEGMENTAL ASH TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1958 INVENTOR. EBEMEZER M. LAMONT Wm ATTORNEYS United States Patent SEGMENTAL ASH TRAY Ebenezer N. Lamont, P.O. Box 125, Benoni, Union of South Africa, assignor of one-half to Lyle M. Flaskerud, Livermore, Calif. I

Filed June 10, 1958, Ser. No. 741,108

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-23.4)

The present invention pertains to a segmental tray assembly and, more specifically, to a segmental tray assembly especially adapted for the reception of cigarette ashes or the like.

A primary object is the provision of a segmental tray assembly wherein the tray may be utilized as an assembled unit or may be disassembled to provide a plurality of individual tray members.

A further object is the provision of an ash tray having a plurality of snuifing chambers formed therein for the extinguishment of cigarettes or the like.

Another object resides in the provision of a segmental tray assembly wherein the individual tray members thereof are provided with a plurality of indentations formed around the periphery thereof to serve as rests for cigarettes or the like, the rests having means for preventing the accidential or inadvertent displacement of the article positioned therein.

Still another object is the provision of a segmental tray assembly comprising a plurality of sector-shaped tray members, and means for releasably connecting the tray members together adjacent their respective apexes.

Among the further objects and advantages attendant to this invention is the provision of a segmental tray assembly of the class described supra, the tray assembly being non-complex in construction and assembly, inexpensive to manufacture, and durable in use.

Other further objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a segmental tray assembly constructed and assembled in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a detail cross section view taken substantially on the horizontal plane of the sectional line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the central portion of the tray assembly;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view partly in cross section of the central portion of the tray assembly, the section being taken substantially along the horizontal plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the tray assembly illustrated in Figure 1.

Proceeding now to a more precise verbal description of the instant invention, reference numeral connotes the tray assembly in general. The assembly 10 includes four substantially identical sector-shaped trays 12, one of which will be described in some detail as follows.

Each of the trays 12, may be formed of glass, pottery, ceramic ware, or any other suitable material, and comprise main body portions 13 each including a pair of straight edge sides 14, 16 which converge from a convex arcuate outer end 18 toward a concavely arcuate inner end 20 at the apex thereof. Each of the trays 12 also has an upper side 22 and an opposed lower side 24,

2,974,821 Patented Mar. 14;, 1961 the upper side 22 having a main ash receiving depression 26 formed therein, and the lower side 24 also having a depression 28 of lesser depth supplied in order to provide a finger gripping means for the tray 12. Each of the trays 12 also has an arcuate channel 30 formed in the lower side 24 thereof adjacent the inner end 20, the arc thereof substantially paralleling the arc of the end 29. Also, it will be seen in the drawings that the portion 32 of the lower side24 lying between the channel 30 and the inner end 20 is recessed relative to the lower side 24 for a purpose described more fully below, and that the corner 34 of this portion is sloped to meet the inner end 20.

The upper side 22 of the tray 12 has a substantially fiat, lateral, arcuate flange 36 extending along the convexly arcuate outer side thereof. The flange 36 has a plurality of downwardly arched indentations 38, formed therein to provide rests for smoldering cigarettes or the like. The flange 36 also has, positioned within each of the indentations 38, a plurality of upwardly extending protuberances 42 of a diminutive size relative to the indentations, the protuberances 42 being provided in order to prevent inadvertent or accidential displacement of the article rested within the identations 38.

Adjacent the inner end 2%, the upper side 22 is provided with an arcuate groove 44 which is defined by an upright wall 46 and a confronting arcuate wall 48. As best seen in Figure 2, the arcuate wall 48 does not rise to the plane of the upper side 22 of the tray 12, the purpose of this construction being described more fully below.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of a plurality of snufling chambers 56 in the tray 12. The chambers 58 have open ends 52 opening into the depression 26 of the tray 12 and terminate in ogive recesses 53 adjacent the substantially rounded closed ends 54 thereof. These rounded ends 54 prevent the compaction of ashes and allow the chambers 56) to be easily cleaned by simply rinsing the same in running Water. Also, it has been found that forming the chambers 50 with rounded closed ends results in a lower precentage of rejects during the forming process.

Proceeding now to a description of the central fastening means assembly 56, it will be seen that a substantially discoidal base plate 58 is provided which has an annular upright flange 60 extending around the circumference thereof. Projecting perpendicularly from substantially the center of base plate 58, and fixedly secured thereto, is a substantially cylindrical central axle member 62 having a coaxial inwardly threaded bore 64 in open communication with the upper end 66 thereof.

As seen in Figures 2 and 5, the bore 64 is provided in order to receive and threadedly engage a substantially cylindrical, threaded lock screw 68. The screw 68 is fixedly secured at its upper end to a substantially solid cylinder 70 having a substantially discoidal actuating knob 72 formed integrally therewith. A paraboloidal hub 74 having a centrally located opening 76 is provided and the screw 68 is slidably passed through this opening 76. A lock nut 78 is threaded on the screw 68 in order to secure the hub 74 against the cylinder 71 and for the further purpose of preventing the hub 74 from sliding free of the screw 68 when the screw is removed from the bore 64. With special reference to Figure 2, the hub 74 is seen to be positioned so that the periphery thereof is pointed downwardly in order to engage the groove 44, the concave inner portion of the hub 74 bearing against the arcuate wall 48.

In operation, the assembly 19 may be utilized either in the assembled state shown in Figures 1 through 4, or it may be disassembled and the respective trays .12 used individually. In cases where the assembly 10 is utilized as an ash receptacle, the depressions 26 provide an area for the deposit of ashes during smoking and the snufling protuberances 42 act to roughen the otherwise smooth surface of the rests 38, and thus prevent the accidential or. inadvertent displacement of the cigarette therefrom which often causes damage to furniture, etc.

-- It will be noted at this point that while specific allusion is made to an ash receptacle, that the scope of this invention is not -to-be construed as limited thereto, but may include any segmental tray; V

The central fastening assembly 56 is the means by which the tray segments 12 are assembled and disassembled. In a preferred method of assembly, the knob 72 and cylinder 70are rotated, thus causing the screw 68 to turn in the bore 64 and raising the hub 74 upwardly away from the base 58. When the distance between the periphery of the hub 74 and'base 58 is greater than the height of the inner end 20 of the tray 12, the arcuate inner ends 20are pressed against the central axle member 62, the channels 30 receiving the flange 60 of the base 58. Then, the knob 72 is rotated in the opposite direction causing the hub 74 to engage in channel 44 and connect the trays 12 into one compact assembly 10.

It will be noted that the base 58 is drawn flush against the recessed portion 32 thus presenting a substantially flat, surface for resting the assembly on a table or the like. Also, the hub 74 is rotated into the grooves 44 and, does not protrude above the upper side, 22.

When it is desired to disassemble the trays 12 for individual use, the above method is merely reversed.

This illustration and description has defined four separate tray segments making up the assembly 10, but it is obvious that any number of segments could be provided without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having described and illustrated a single embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that the same is offered merely by way of example, and this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

' What is claimed is:

In a demountable tray assembly which includes a plurality. of sector-shaped tray elements having upper and lower sides, and means for releasably securing said tray elements into a circular arrangement, that improvement in said means which comprises: a flat, generally discoidal main base portion; an annular, upstanding flange projecting from the periphery of. the main base portion for engagement with the tray elements; the tray elements each having a curved channel formed in the lower side thereof of at least the depth of the flange, said curved channels forming, collectively, va'circular channel when the tray elements are'located in said circular arrangement, and the circular channel being adapted to receive the flange therein so that the, main base portion and the lower sides of the tray elements are disposed in a substantially common plane against a"supporting'surface, a substantially cylindrical axle member extending upwardly from the center of said main base portion; a lock screw threadedly received'in the distal outer end of the axle. member, a downwardly cupped hub carried by the lock screw inter mediate its ends; the tray elements each having an arcuate groove formed in their upper sides, the arcuate grooves being defined by an outer upright side wall and an inner arcuate wall which is adapted for nesting engagement in the cupped hub; and actuating means on the lock screw for moving the hub from locking engagement with the arcuate grooves to an open location wherein the tray elements may be selectively dismounted for individual use.

References Cited in the file of this patent Great Britain Aug. 9, 1939 

